vice president biden. the americans were hobbled by divisi division. the state wanted much more agreement than the white house did. >> with the war fatigue and challenges in syria, a continuing escalating level of violence in afghanistan, there is no appetite to try to fix whatever wasn't finished in iraq? >> well, certainly american forces are not going to go back into iraq. i don't know anyone who's really proposing that. but there -- there are people who think there needs to be more concerted effort to expand american influence in iraq, not just to have -- well, one, to counter the iranians, two, to have influence in iraq, so it becomes a country worthy of all the thousands of american troops who sacrifice their lives there and also to effect the situation in syria. there's a lot of reason for the united states to be more energetically involved in iraq, but that doesn't mean, you know, at this stage, people were talking about sending troops back into iraq. >> michael gordon, the book is "end game." we thank you very much. >> thank you. >> and what p